Historic verdict: UN International Court announces decision on Ukraine's case against Russia
The UN court has made a decision on Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia regarding the financing of terrorism in Donbas (Photo: Getty Images)
The International Court of Justice (ICJ) today, on January 31, recognized Russia's violations of certain provisions of the Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism. The relevant decision was announced in The Hague in the case brought by Ukraine, according to the court session.
In the international court, it has been stated that the Russian Federation, in particular, did not investigate the financial support of illegal armed formations in the territories of certain districts of Donetsk and Luhansk regions in Ukraine in 2014.
However, the decision read by the court's head, Joan Donoghue, did not specify the awarding of compensation, as demanded by the Ukrainian side in the lawsuit.
Furthermore, the Hague court did not make a specific decision regarding Russia's potential responsibility for the downing of the Malaysia Airlines flight MH17 over the occupied part of the Donetsk region on July 17, 2014.
Thus, the UN court today confirmed a lesser part of the accusations from the Ukrainian side against Russia in the case of financing terrorism.
Suppression in occupied Crimea
Regarding Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia regarding violations of conventions on overcoming racial discrimination – referring to the oppression of Crimean Tatars and Ukrainians in the temporarily occupied peninsula – the court stated that Ukraine could not prove the majority of facts of such racial discrimination.
Specifically, in The Hague, it was acknowledged that Russia could not protect the rights of ethnic Ukrainians residing in Crimea, thereby violating its obligations under the mentioned Convention.
The full text of the court's decision on the application of the International Convention for the Suppression of the Financing of Terrorism and of the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination (Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia) can be read at this link.
UN Court on Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia on January 31
Today, Wednesday, the international UN court announced the final decision on Ukraine's lawsuit against Russia in the case of violations of conventions on the prohibition of financing terrorism and overcoming forms of racial discrimination – in Donbas and Crimea.
The court session at the Peace Palace in The Hague (Netherlands) is being broadcast live.
Ukraine filed this lawsuit against Russia with the UN court on January 16, 2017, and it is related to the aggression of invaders in Crimea and Donbas. The lawsuit concerns the Kremlin's violation of two conventions: the fight against the financing of terrorism and the elimination of all forms of racial discrimination.
